Study of Effect of zinc in the diarrhea of breast feeding babies, (aged between 6 months to 2 years) of North Karnataka population

Background: Malnutrition especially during the early few years of life predisposes to micronutrient deficiencies such as iron and zinc. ¹Children in developing countries are frequently affected by diarrhea, which causes excess fecal loss of zinc. In such settings, zinc supplementation has been shown to reduce the rates of diarrhea and enhance the physical growth.²

Aims and Objectives: To study the effect of zinc supplementation on the incidence of diarrhea among healthy breast fed babies of age group 6months to 2 years.

Materials and Method: The present study was a randomized controlled trial from May 2016 to September 2017 with both control and interventional group having 100 patients. A total of three follow ups (6, 9 and 12 months) were performed during the study period and theanthropometric measurements and data regarding morbidity with respect to number of episodes of diarrhea were recorded and results analyzed.

Results: A total of 200 babies were enrolled in the study. First and second follow up visits were done in 186 and 172 babies respectively. 168 babies completed all the three follow-up visits of which, 53.6% (90) and 46.3% (78) belonged to the interventional and control groups respectively.The overall incidence of acute diarrheal illness in the interventional group was less (42.2% Vs 62.8%) when compared with the control group and a statistically significant difference in the incidence between the two groups was observed at six to nine months only (p = 0.007).

Conclusion: Zinc supplementation significantly reduces the morbidity associated with diarrhea in breast fed babies.